Semiconductor Device and Method

ABSTRACT

In an embodiment, a device includes: a fin on a substrate, fin having a Si portion proximate the substrate and a SiGe portion distal the substrate; a gate stack over a channel region of the fin; a source/drain region adjacent the gate stack; a first doped region in the SiGe portion of the fin, the first doped region disposed between the channel region and the source/drain region, the first doped region having a uniform concentration of a dopant; and a second doped region in the SiGe portion of the fin, the second doped region disposed under the source/drain region, the second doped region having a graded concentration of the dopant increasing in a direction extending from a top of the fin to a bottom of the fin.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications,such as, for example, personal computers, cell phones, digital cameras,and other electronic equipment. Semiconductor devices are typicallyfabricated by sequentially depositing insulating or dielectric layers,conductive layers, and semiconductor layers of material over asemiconductor substrate, and patterning the various material layersusing lithography to form circuit components and elements thereon.

The semiconductor industry continues to improve the integration densityof various electronic components (e.g., transistors, diodes, resistors,capacitors, etc.) by continual reductions in minimum feature size, whichallow more components to be integrated into a given area. However, asthe minimum features sizes are reduced, additional problems arise thatshould be addressed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a FinFET in a three-dimensional view,in accordance with some embodiments.

FIGS. 2 through 28C are cross-sectional views of intermediate stages inthe manufacturing of FinFETs, in accordance with some embodiments.

FIG. 29 is a detailed view of a FinFET, in accordance with someembodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the invention. Specificexamples of components and arrangements are described below to simplifythe present disclosure. These are, of course, merely examples and arenot intended to be limiting. For example, the formation of a firstfeature over or on a second feature in the description that follows mayinclude embodiments in which the first and second features are formed indirect contact, and may also include embodiments in which additionalfeatures may be formed between the first and second features, such thatthe first and second features may not be in direct contact. In addition,the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/or letters inthe various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicityand clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between thevarious embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

According to some embodiments, a gate spacer layer is formed over a finand gate stack. Lightly doped source/drain (LDD) regions are formed inthe fin. Dopants are implanted in the gate spacer layer. An anneal isperformed to drive the dopants into the fin, under the LDD regions. As aresult of driving in dopants, portions of the fin adjacent the channelregion thus have a uniform dopant distribution, which may reducejunction leakage of the resulting FinFET device. Recesses forsource/drain regions are formed through the gate spacer layer and in thefin. More dopants are implanted in the exposed portions of the fin, andan epitaxy is performed to grow source/drain regions. The epitaxyincludes a heating step that drives more dopants into the fin, under thesource/drain regions. Portions of the fin under the source/drain regionsthus have a graded dopant distribution, which may reduce powerconsumption of the resulting FinFET device.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example of a FinFET in a three-dimensional view,in accordance with some embodiments. The FinFET comprises a fin 52 on asubstrate 50. Shallow trench isolation (STI) regions 60 are formed onthe substrate 50, and the fin 52 protrudes above and from betweenneighboring STI regions 60. A gate dielectric layer 130 is alongsidewalls and over a top surface of the fin 52, and a gate electrode 132is over the gate dielectric layer 130. Source/drain regions 108 aredisposed in opposite sides of the fin 52 with respect to the gatedielectric layer 130 and gate electrode 132. FIG. 1 further illustratesreference cross-sections that are used in later figures. Cross-sectionA-A is across a channel, gate dielectric layer 130, and gate electrode132 of the FinFET. Cross-section B-B is perpendicular to cross-sectionA-A and is along a longitudinal axis of the fin 52 and in a directionof, for example, a current flow between the source/drain regions 108.Cross-section C/D-C/D is parallel to cross-section A-A and extendsthrough a source/drain region 108 of the FinFET. Subsequent figuresrefer to these reference cross-sections for clarity.

Some embodiments discussed herein are discussed in the context ofFinFETs formed using a gate-last process. In other embodiments, agate-first process may be used. Also, some embodiments contemplateaspects used in planar devices, such as planar FETs.

FIGS. 2-7 are cross-sectional views of intermediate stages in themanufacturing of FinFETs, in accordance with some embodiments. FIGS. 2through 7 are shown along reference cross-section A-A illustrated inFIG. 1, except for multiple fins/FinFETs.

In FIG. 2, fins 52 are formed in a substrate 50. The substrate 50 may bea semiconductor substrate, such as a bulk semiconductor, asemiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrate, or the like, which may bedoped (e.g., with a p-type or an n-type dopant) or undoped. Thesubstrate 50 may be a wafer, such as a silicon wafer. Generally, an SOIsubstrate is a layer of a semiconductor material formed on an insulatorlayer. The insulator layer may be, for example, a buried oxide (BOX)layer, a silicon oxide layer, or the like. The insulator layer isprovided on a substrate, typically a silicon or glass substrate. Othersubstrates, such as a multi-layered or gradient substrate may also beused. In some embodiments, the semiconductor material of the substrate50 may include silicon; germanium; a compound semiconductor includingsilicon carbide, gallium arsenic, gallium phosphide, indium phosphide,indium arsenide, and/or indium antimonide; an alloy semiconductorincluding SiGe, GaAsP, AlInAs, AlGaAs, GaInAs, GaInP, and/or GaInAsP; orcombinations thereof. In a particular embodiment, the substrate 50 is asilicon substrate.

The substrate 50 has a region 10 and a region 12. The region 10 can befor forming n-type devices, such as NMOS transistors, e.g., n-typeFinFETs. The region 12 can be for forming p-type devices, such as PMOStransistors, e.g., p-type FinFETs. The region 10 may be physicallyseparated from the region 12 (as illustrated by a divider), and anynumber of device features (e.g., other active devices, doped regions,isolation structures, etc.) may be disposed between the region 10 andthe region 12. In some embodiments, both the region 10 and the region 12are used to form the same type of devices, such as both regions beingfor n-type devices or p-type devices.

The fins 52 are semiconductor strips and may be formed in the substrate50 by etching trenches in the substrate 50. The etching may be anyacceptable etch process, such as a reactive ion etch (RIE), neutral beametch (NBE), the like, or a combination thereof. The etch may beanisotropic.

In FIG. 3, an insulation material 54 is formed over the substrate 50 andbetween neighboring fins 52. The insulation material 54 may be an oxide,such as silicon oxide, a nitride, the like, or a combination thereof,and may be formed by a high density plasma chemical vapor deposition(HDP-CVD), a flowable CVD (FCVD) (e.g., a CVD-based material depositionin a remote plasma system and post curing to make it convert to anothermaterial, such as an oxide), the like, or a combination thereof. Otherinsulation materials formed by any acceptable process may be used. Inthe illustrated embodiment, the insulation material 54 is silicon oxideformed by a FCVD process. An anneal process may be performed once theinsulation material is formed. In an embodiment, the insulation material54 is formed such that excess portions of the insulation material 54covers the fins 52. A planarization process is then applied to theinsulation material 54. In some embodiments, the planarization processincludes a chemical mechanical polish (CMP), an etch back process,combinations thereof, or the like. The planarization process exposes thefins 52. Top surfaces of the fins 52 and the insulation material 54 arelevel after the planarization process.

In FIG. 4, the fins 52 are etched to form recesses 56. During theetching, at least the upper portions of the fins 52 are removed. Theetching may be any acceptable etch process, such as a wet or dry etch.The etch may be anisotropic.

In FIG. 5, the fins 52 are epitaxially regrown in the recesses 56. Afterthe growth, the fins 52 include first portions 52A and second portions52B. The first portions 52A are formed of a different semiconductormaterial than the second portions 52B. In some embodiments, the secondportions 52B are formed from silicon germanium (Si_(x)Ge_(1-x), where xcan be in the range of 0 to 1), silicon carbide, pure or substantiallypure germanium, a III-V compound semiconductor, a II-VI compoundsemiconductor, or the like. In a particular embodiment, the secondportions 52B are SiGe. Further, the second portions 52B may have alattice constant greater than, substantially equal to, or smaller than,the lattice constant of the first portions 52A. An optionalplanarization process may be performed on the fins 52 such that topsurfaces of the fins 52 and insulation material 54 are level.

In FIG. 6, the insulation material 54 is recessed to form STI regions60. The insulation material 54 is recessed such that the fins 52 in theregion 10 and in the region 12 protrude from between neighboring STIregions 60. Further, the top surfaces of the STI regions 60 may have aflat surface as illustrated, a convex surface, a concave surface (suchas dishing), or a combination thereof. The top surfaces of the STIregions 60 may be formed flat, convex, and/or concave by an appropriateetch. The STI regions 60 may be recessed using an acceptable etchingprocess, such as one that is selective to the material of the insulationmaterial 54. For example, a chemical oxide removal using a CERTAS® etchor an Applied Materials SICONI tool or dilute hydrofluoric (dHF) acidmay be used.

After formation, appropriate doped regions (sometimes referred to aswell regions) may be formed in the fins 52 and/or the substrate 50. Insome embodiments, a P-type doped region may be formed in the region 10,and an N-type doped region may be formed in the region 12. In someembodiments, only P-type or only N-type doped regions are formed in boththe region 10 and the region 12. In the embodiments with different typesof doped regions, the different implant steps for the region 10 and theregion 12 may be achieved using a photoresist or other masks. Forexample, a photoresist may be formed over the fins 52 and the STIregions 60 in the region 10. The photoresist is patterned to expose theregion 12 of the substrate 50, such as a PMOS region. The photoresistcan be formed by using a spin-on technique and can be patterned usingacceptable photolithography techniques. Once the photoresist ispatterned, an n-type impurity implant is performed in the region 12, andthe photoresist may act as a mask to substantially prevent n-typeimpurities from being implanted into the region 10, such as an NMOSregion. The n-type impurities may be phosphorus, arsenic, or the likeimplanted in the region to a concentration of equal to or less than 10¹⁸cm⁻³, such as from about 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ to about 10¹⁸ cm⁻³. After theimplant, the photoresist is removed, such as by an acceptable ashingprocess. Following the implanting of the region 12, a photoresist isformed over the fins 52 and the STI regions 60 in the region 12. Thephotoresist is patterned to expose the region 10 of the substrate 50,such as the NMOS region. The photoresist can be formed by using aspin-on technique and can be patterned using acceptable photolithographytechniques. Once the photoresist is patterned, a p-type impurity implantmay be performed in the region 10, and the photoresist may act as a maskto substantially prevent p-type impurities from being implanted into theregion 12, such as the PMOS region. The p-type impurities may be boron,BF₂, or the like implanted in the region to a concentration of equal toor less than 10¹⁸ cm⁻³, such as from about 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ to about 10¹⁸ cm⁻³.After the implant, the photoresist may be removed, such as by anacceptable ashing process. After the implants of the region 10 and theregion 12, an anneal may be performed to activate the p-type and/orn-type impurities that were implanted. In some embodiments, the grownmaterials of epitaxial fins may be in situ doped during growth, whichmay obviate the implantations, although in situ and implantation dopingmay be used together.

In FIG. 7, a dummy gate dielectric layer 62 is formed over the fins 52.The dummy gate dielectric layer 62 may be, for example, silicon oxide,silicon nitride, a combination thereof, or the like, and may bedeposited or thermally grown according to acceptable techniques. A dummygate layer 64 is formed over the dummy gate dielectric layer 62, and amask layer 66 is formed over the dummy gate layer 64. The dummy gatelayer 64 may be deposited over the dummy gate dielectric layer 62 andthen planarized, such as by a CMP. The dummy gate layer 64 may be aconductive material and may be selected from a group includingpolycrystalline-silicon (polysilicon), poly-crystallinesilicon-germanium (poly-SiGe), metallic nitrides, metallic silicides,metallic oxides, and metals. In one embodiment, amorphous silicon isdeposited and recrystallized to create polysilicon. The dummy gate layer64 may be deposited by physical vapor deposition (PVD), CVD, sputterdeposition, or other techniques known and used in the art for depositingconductive materials. The dummy gate layer 64 may be made of othermaterials that have a high etching selectivity from the etching ofisolation regions. The mask layer 66 may be deposited over the dummygate layer 64. The mask layer 66 may include, for example, SiN, SiON, orthe like. In this example, a single dummy gate layer 64 and a singlemask layer 66 are formed across the region 10 and the region 12. In someembodiments, separate dummy gate layers may be formed in the region 10and the region 12, and separate mask layers may be formed in the region10 and the region 12.

FIGS. 8A through 28C are cross-sectional views of intermediate stages inthe manufacturing of FinFETs, in accordance with some embodiments.Figures ending with an “A” designation are shown along referencecross-section A-A illustrated in FIG. 1, except for multiplefins/FinFETs. Figures ending with a “B” designation are shown alongreference cross-section B-B illustrated in FIG. 1, except for multiplefins/FinFETs. Figures ending with a “C” or “D” designation are shownalong reference cross-section C/D-C/D illustrated in FIG. 1, except formultiple fins/FinFETs. FIGS. 8A through 28C illustrate a process in theregion 12 for forming p-type devices. During the process, the region 10may be covered by a mask such as a photoresist. It should be appreciatedthat similar steps may be performed, with appropriate variations, in theregion 10 to form n-type devices. The n-type devices in the region 10may be formed before or after the p-type devices in the region 12.

In FIGS. 8A through 8C, the mask layer 66 is patterned using acceptablephotolithography and etching techniques to form masks 70. The pattern ofthe masks 70 then may be transferred to the dummy gate layer 64 by anacceptable etching technique to form dummy gates 72. The dummy gates 72cover respective channel regions of the fins 52. The pattern of themasks 70 may be used to physically separate each of the dummy gates 72from adjacent dummy gates. The dummy gates 72 may have a lengthwisedirection substantially perpendicular to the lengthwise direction ofrespective epitaxial fins.

In FIGS. 9A through 9C, gate seal spacers 80 can be formed on exposedsurfaces of the dummy gates 72 and/or the fins 52. A thermal oxidationor a deposition followed by an anisotropic etch may form the gate sealspacers 80. In some embodiments, the gate seal spacer may be formed of anitride, such as silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride, silicon carbide,silicon carbonitride, the like, or a combination thereof. The gate sealspacers 80 seal the sidewalls of subsequently formed gate stacks, andmay act as additional gate spacing layers.

In FIGS. 10A through 10C, a first gate spacer layer 82 is conformallydeposited over the fins 52 and dummy gates 72. The first gate spacerlayer 82 is formed from a dielectric material such as silicon oxide,silicon nitride, SiCN, a combination thereof, or the like.

In FIGS. 11A through 11C, lightly doped source/drain (LDD) regions 84are formed in the second portions 52B of the fins 52. Implants areperformed to form the LDD regions 84. In particular, appropriate type(e.g., p-type) impurities may be implanted into the fins 52 in theregion 12. The p-type impurities may be the any of the p-type impuritiespreviously discussed. An anneal may be used to activate the implantedimpurities. The lightly doped source/drain (LDD) regions 84 aresubstantially confined to the second portions 52B of the fins 52, and donot extend into the first portions 52A.

In FIGS. 12A through 12C, a first plasma doping process is performed toimplant dopant particles 86 into the first gate spacer layer 82 andconformally form a first dopant layer 88 on the first gate spacer layer82. The dopant of the first dopant layer 88 is an impurity of anappropriate type (e.g., p-type) for the device being formed, and may bethe same impurity implanted when forming the LDD regions 84. In anembodiment, the dopant is boron. Doping the first gate spacer layer 82with a dopant of the appropriate type may allow the fins 52 to be dopedwith the dopants in subsequent steps, improving the doping profile ofthe fins 52.

The plasma doping process may be performed as part of a CVD process suchas RF CVD, plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), or the like. The plasma dopingprocess uses a gas source including a first precursor gas, a secondprecursor gas, and an inert gas. The first precursor gas comprises adopant, such as a P-type dopant, such as boron, aluminium, nitrogen,gallium, indium, the like, or combinations thereof. For example, thefirst precursor gas may be AsH₃, B₂H₆, NF₃, N₂, O₂, Ar, or the like. Thesecond precursor gas may comprise any gas that reacts with the firstprecursor gas to perform a suitable CVD process. The inert gas maycomprise xenon, helium, argon, neon, krypton, radon, the like, orcombinations thereof. In the embodiment where the dopant is boron, thefirst precursor gas may be a gaseous boron source such as B₂H₆ or thelike, the second precursor gas is H₂, and the inert gas is argon.

FIG. 13 illustrates a deposition system 200, in accordance with someembodiments. The deposition system 200 may be used to perform the plasmadoping process to implant the dopant particles 86 into the first dopantlayer 88 and form the first dopant layer 88 on the first dopant layer88. The deposition system 200 includes a chamber 202 defined by ahousing 204. A chuck 206 in the chamber 202 holds a wafer, such as awafer including the substrate 50. A gas inlet 208 provides precursorgasses to the chamber 202. A plasma generator 210 generates plasma fromthe precursor gasses; the plasma generator 210 may be atransformer-coupled plasma generator, inductively coupled plasma system,magnetically enhanced reactive ion etching system, electron cyclotronresonance system, a remote plasma generator, or the like. During theplasma doping process, the deposition system 200 performs discharge andimplantation in alternating repeating steps or pulses. The dischargesteps form the first dopant layer 88 on the first gate spacer layer 82in a manner similar to a CVD process, and the implanting steps implantthe dopant particles 86 into the first dopant layer 88.

During the discharge steps, the first dopant layer 88 is formed on thefirst gate spacer layer 82. A gas source including the first precursorgas, second precursor gas, and inert gas is provided to the chamber 202through the gas inlet 208. In embodiments where boron doping isperformed, the gas source comprises from about 1% to about 10% of thefirst (e.g., boron-containing) precursor gas, from about 30% to about60% of the second (e.g., H₂ containing) precursor gas, and from about40% to about 60% of the inert (e.g., argon-containing) gas. In suchembodiments, the first precursor gas is provided at a flow rate of fromabout 5 standard cubic centimeter per minute (sccm) to about 90 sccm;the second precursor gas is provided at a flow rate of from about 20sccm to about 200 sccm; and the inert gas is provided at a flow rate offrom about 20 sccm to about 200 sccm. The plasma generator 210 generatesRF power that produces a plasma sheath in the chamber 202 from the gassource. In embodiments where boron is implanted, the plasma generator210 generates RF power of from about 500 watts to about 1500 watts, andthe generated plasma includes boron ions such as B₂H₅ ⁺, BH₃ ⁺, B⁺, andthe like. The ions descend to the surface of the wafer or substrate 50,where they are neutralized by free electrons to produce the first dopantlayer 88. In embodiments where boron doping is performed, the firstdopant layer 88 is a layer of boron, and a thickness of the first dopantlayer 88 may be from about 2 nm to about 10 nm.

During the implanting steps, the dopant particles 86 are driven into theinto the first gate spacer layer 82. A direct current (DC) bias voltageis generated between the plasma generator 210 and the chuck 206. The DCbias voltage is a high-voltage negative offset and is pulsedperiodically such that the implanting step is performed periodically.The dopant particles 86 (e.g., boron ions) are accelerated across theplasma sheath by the DC bias voltage and implanted into the first gatespacer layer 82. Inert gas particles (e.g., argon) may collide with thedopant particles 86 and knock the dopant particles 86 deeper into thefirst gate spacer layer 82. For example, the inert gas particles mayknock the dopant particles 86 through the formed first dopant layer 88and into the first gate spacer layer 82. In embodiments where borondoping is performed, the DC bias voltage may be from about −0.2 V toabout −10 kV, may be pulsed for a period of from about 20 μs to about150 μs, and may be pulsed at a frequency of from about 0.5 kHz to about10 kHz. In such embodiments, the resulting implantation energy of boronmay be from about 0.5 KV to about 3 KV, such as about 2 KV, and a dosageof the implanted boron may be from about 5E13 atoms/cm² to about 2E16atoms/cm², such as about 8E13 atoms/cm².

In FIGS. 14A through 14C, the first dopant layer 88 is removed with afirst removal process 90. As such, only the dopant particles 86 in thefirst gate spacer layer 82 remain. The first removal process 90 may be asuitable etching process, such as a wet etch process. In someembodiments, the first removal process 90 is a wet etch processperformed using a Sulfuric Peroxide Mixture (SPM), which is an acidincluding H₂SO₄, and H₂O₂. The SPM may further include a SC-1 cleaningsolution, which is a mixture of NH₄OH, H₂O₂ and deionized water. The SPMhas an etch selectivity between the first dopant layer 88 and first gatespacer layer 82, such that the SPM removes first dopant layer 88 withoutsubstantially attacking the first gate spacer layer 82. The wet etchprocess conditions (e.g., time, temperature) are controlled such thatthe wet etch process removes the first dopant layer 88 withoutsubstantially removing the dopant particles 86 in the first gate spacerlayer 82. In an embodiment, a wet etch process is performed for a timeinterval of from about 30 seconds to about 120 seconds, using a hightemperature SPM solution at a temperature of from about 90° C. to about180° C.

In FIGS. 15A through 15C, an anneal process 92 is performed to drive thedopant particles 86 embedded in the first gate spacer layer 82 into thefins 52, thereby forming first doped regions 94 in the first portions52A and second portions 52B of the fins 52. The anneal process 92 alsoactivates the implanted dopants. The first doped regions 94 are underthe LDD regions 84; the masks 70 and dummy gates 72 prevent the firstdoped regions 94 from being formed in the channel regions of the fins52. The first doped regions 94 have a substantially uniformconcentration of the dopant throughout their thickness, and have a lowerdopant concentration than the LDD regions 84. Notably, the thickness ofthe first doped region 94 is greater than or equal to the thickness ofthe second portion 52B of the fins 52. As a result, SiGe portions of thefins 52 outside of the channel regions are doped with the dopant. Theanneal process 92 may be performed in a same chamber as the dopingprocess, or may be performed in a different chamber than the chamberused in the doping process. In an embodiment, the anneal process 92 is aspike annealing process performed at a temperature of from about 800° C.to about 1200° C., such as about 950° C., for a time interval of fromabout 1 microsecond to about 5 seconds. In some embodiments, the ambientenvironment of the anneal process 92 may be selected to preventoutgassing of the dopant. For example, an ambient environment includingfrom about 0% to about 5% O₂ and from about 95% to about 100% N₂ may beused.

In FIGS. 16A through 16C, a second gate spacer layer 96 is conformallydeposited over the first gate spacer layer 82. The second gate spacerlayer 96 is formed from a dielectric material, and may be formed fromthe same material as the first gate spacer layer 82. The first andsecond gate spacer layers 82 and 96 are patterned in subsequent steps toform gate spacers, and are collectively referred to as a gate spacerlayer 98. The gate spacer layer 98 may include more or fewer layers thanshown.

In FIGS. 17A through 17C, a mask layer 100 is conformally deposited overthe gate spacer layer 98. The mask layer 100 may be formed from adielectric material such as SiN, and may be formed by a depositionprocess. The mask layer 100 is used to protect the gate spacer layer 98during subsequent implanting and epitaxy steps.

In FIGS. 18A through 18C, recesses 102 are formed in the fins 52. Therecesses 102 are formed using acceptable photolithography and etchingtechniques, such as an anisotropic etch performed with a mask. Therecesses 102 extend through the mask layer 100, gate spacer layer 98,and dummy gate dielectric layer 62, and extend into the fins 52.Notably, depths of the recesses 102 are greater than depths of the LDDregions 84 and less than depths of the first doped regions 94. Further,the recesses 102 may extend only partially into the second regions 52Bof the fins 52, and may not extend into the first regions 52A.

In FIGS. 19A through 19C, a second plasma doping process is performed toimplant dopant particles 86 into the mask layer 100 and second portions52B of the fins 52, and to conformally form a second dopant layer 104 onthe mask layer 100 and in the recesses 102. The second plasma dopingprocess may be similar to the first plasma doping process used to formthe first dopant layer 88, but may be performed with different processconditions. In particular, when performing the second plasma dopingprocess, the deposition system 200 may perform less discharge and moreimplantation. The amount of discharge and implantation may be controlledby varying the period of the DC bias voltage between the plasmagenerator 210 and the chuck 206 during deposition. For example, theperiod of the DC bias voltage during the second plasma doping processmay be longer than during the first plasma doping process. In someembodiments, a majority or substantially all of the second plasma dopingprocess comprises implantation, and the second dopant layer 104 is verysmall or is not formed.

In FIGS. 20A through 20C, the second dopant layer 104 is removed with asecond removal process 106. As such, only the dopant particles 86 in themask layer 100 and fins 52 remain. The second removal process 106 may besimilar to the first removal process 90 used to remove the first dopantlayer 88.

In FIGS. 21A through 21D, epitaxial source/drain regions 108 areepitaxially grown in the recesses 102. The epitaxial source/drainregions 108 may include any acceptable material, such as appropriate forp-type FinFETs. For example, if the second portions 52B of the fins 52are SiGe, the epitaxial source/drain regions 108 may include SiGeB, Ge,GeSn, or the like. The epitaxial source/drain regions 108 may also havesurfaces raised from respective surfaces of the fins 52 and may havefacets. The epitaxial source/drain regions 108 are formed in the fins 52such that each dummy gate 72 is disposed between respective neighboringpairs of the epitaxial source/drain regions 108. In some embodiments,the epitaxial source/drain regions 108 may extend through the LDDregions 84. In some embodiments, the gate spacer layer 98 is used toseparate the epitaxial source/drain regions 108 from the dummy gates 72by an appropriate lateral distance so that the epitaxial source/drainregions 108 do not short out subsequently formed gates of the resultingFinFETs.

The epitaxial source/drain regions 108 are in situ doped during growthto form source/drain regions. The epitaxial source/drain regions 108have the same doping type as the respective LDD regions 84, and may bedoped with the same dopants or different dopants. The epitaxialsource/drain regions 108 may have an impurity concentration of betweenabout 10¹⁹ cm⁻³ and about 10²¹ cm⁻³. The impurities for source/drainregions may be any of the impurities previously discussed. Because theepitaxial source/drain regions 108 are in situ doped during growth, theyare not doped by implantation.

As a result of the epitaxy processes used to form the epitaxialsource/drain regions 108, upper surfaces of the epitaxial source/drainregions have facets which expand laterally outward beyond a sidewalls ofthe fins 52. In some embodiments, adjacent epitaxial source/drainregions 108 remain separated after the epitaxy process is completed, asillustrated by the embodiment of FIG. 21B. In other embodiments, thefacets cause adjacent epitaxial source/drain regions 108 of a samefinFET to merge, as illustrated by the embodiment of FIG. 21C.

The epitaxial process used to form the epitaxial source/drain regions108 includes performing one or more heating steps. The heating steps mayinclude heating the fins 52 with an annealing process performed at atemperature of from about 650° C. to about 1200° C., for a time intervalof from about 1 second to about 5 seconds. As a result of the heatingsteps, the dopant particles 86 in the second portions 52B of the fins 52are activated, thereby forming second doped regions 110 in the fins 52.The second doped regions 110 have a higher dopant concentration than thefirst doped regions 94 and a lower dopant concentration than the LDDregions 84. Further, the second doped regions 110 have a gradedconcentration that decreases in a direction extending towards thesubstrate 50. As such, the second portions 52B of the fins 52 thatoverlap the first doped regions 94 have a uniform concentration, and thesecond portions 52B of the fins 52 that overlap the second doped regions110 have a graded concentration.

In FIGS. 22A through 22C, the mask layer 100 is removed. The mask layer100 may be removed by an acceptable etching, such as a wet etch. Oncethe mask layer 100 is removed, formation of the source/drain regions 108in the p-type region (e.g., the region 12) is completed. The stepsdescribed above may then be repeated to form the source/drain regions108 in the n-type region (e.g., the region 10). The steps may be variedwhere appropriate. For example, the dopants used in the n-type regionmay be n-type dopants, such as arsenic.

In FIG. 23A through 23C, gate spacers 120 are formed on the gate sealspacers 80, along sidewalls of the dummy gates 72, and over the LDDregions 84. The gate spacers 120 are formed by anisotropically etchingthe gate spacer layer 98. The etch may be selective to the material ofthe material of the gate spacer layer 98, such that the LDD regions 84are not etched during the formation of the gate spacers 120.

In FIGS. 24A through 24C, an inter-layer dielectric (ILD) 122 isdeposited over the fins 52. The ILD 122 may be formed of a dielectricmaterial, and may be deposited by any suitable method, such as CVD,plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), or FCVD. Dielectric materials may includePhospho-Silicate Glass (PSG), Boro-Silicate Glass (BSG), Boron-DopedPhospho-Silicate Glass (BPSG), undoped Silicate Glass (USG), or thelike. Other insulation or semiconductor materials formed by anyacceptable process may be used. In some embodiments, a contact etch stoplayer (CESL), not illustrated, is disposed between the ILD 122 and theepitaxial source/drain regions 108, the gate spacers 120, the gate sealspacers 80, and the masks 70.

In FIGS. 25A through 25C, a planarization process, such as a CMP, may beperformed to level the top surface of the ILD 122 with the top surfacesof the dummy gates 72. The planarization process may also remove themasks 70 on the dummy gates 72, and portions of the gate seal spacers 80and the gate spacers 120 along sidewalls of the masks 70. After theplanarization process, top surfaces of the dummy gates 72, the gate sealspacers 80, the gate spacers 120, and the ILD 122 are level.Accordingly, the top surfaces of the dummy gates 72 are exposed throughthe ILD 122.

In FIGS. 26A through 26C, the dummy gates 72 and portions of the dummygate dielectric layers 62 directly underlying the exposed dummy gates 72are removed in an etching step(s), so that recesses 124 are formed. Insome embodiments, the dummy gates 72 are removed by an anisotropic dryetch process. For example, the etching process may include a dry etchprocess using reaction gas(es) that selectively etch the dummy gates 72without etching the ILD 122 or the gate spacers 120. Each recess 124exposes a channel region of a respective fin 52. Each channel region isdisposed between neighboring pairs of the epitaxial source/drain regions108. During the removal, the dummy gate dielectric layers 62 may be usedas an etch stop layer when the dummy gates 72 are etched. The dummy gatedielectric layers 62 may then be removed after the removal of the dummygates 72.

In FIGS. 27A through 27C, gate dielectric layers 130 and gate electrodes132 are formed for replacement gates. The gate dielectric layers 130 aredeposited conformally in the recesses 124, such as on the top surfacesand the sidewalls of the fins 52, and on a top surface of the ILD 122.In accordance with some embodiments, gate dielectric layers 130 comprisesilicon oxide, silicon nitride, or multilayers thereof. In otherembodiments, gate dielectric layers 130 include a high-k dielectricmaterial, and in these embodiments, gate dielectric layers 130 may havea k value greater than about 7.0, and may include a metal oxide or asilicate of Hf, Al, Zr, La, Mg, Ba, Ti, Pb, and combinations thereof.The formation methods of gate dielectric layers 130 may includeMolecular-Beam Deposition (MBD), Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD), PECVD,and the like.

Next, gate electrodes 132 are deposited over gate dielectric layers 130,respectively, and fill the remaining portions of the recesses 124. Gateelectrodes 132 may be made of a metal-containing material such as TiN,TaN, TaC, Co, Ru, Al, W, combinations thereof, or multi-layers thereof.After the filling of gate electrodes 132, a planarization process, suchas a CMP, may be performed to remove the excess portions of gatedielectric layers 130 and the material of gate electrodes 132, whichexcess portions are over the top surface of ILD 122. The resultingremaining portions of material of gate electrodes 132 and gatedielectric layers 130 thus form replacement gates of the resultingFinFETs, and may be collectively referred to as gate stacks.

In FIGS. 28A through 28C, an ILD 134 is formed over the gate stacks andILD 122. In an embodiment, the ILD 134 is a flowable film formed by aflowable CVD method. In some embodiments, the ILD 134 is formed of adielectric material such as PSG, BSG, BPSG, USG, or the like, and may bedeposited by any suitable method, such as CVD and PECVD.

Source/drain contacts 136 and gate contacts 138 are formed through theILDs 122 and 134. Openings for the source/drain contacts 136 are formedthrough the ILDs 122 and 134, and openings for the gate contacts 138 areformed through the ILD 134. The openings may be formed using acceptablephotolithography and etching techniques. A liner, such as a diffusionbarrier layer, an adhesion layer, or the like, and a conductive materialare formed in the openings. The liner may include titanium, titaniumnitride, tantalum, tantalum nitride, or the like. The conductivematerial may be copper, a copper alloy, silver, gold, tungsten, cobalt,aluminum, nickel, or the like. A planarization process, such as a CMP,may be performed to remove excess material from a surface of the ILD134. The remaining liner and conductive material form the source/draincontacts 136 and gate contacts 138 in the openings. An anneal processmay be performed to form a silicide at the interface between theepitaxial source/drain regions 108 and the source/drain contacts 136.The source/drain contacts 136 are physically and electrically coupled tothe epitaxial source/drain regions 108, and the gate contacts 138 arephysically and electrically coupled to the gate electrodes 132. Thesource/drain contacts 136 and gate contacts 138 may be formed indifferent processes, or may be formed in the same process. Althoughshown as being formed in the same cross-sections, it should beappreciated that each of the source/drain contacts 136 and gate contacts138 may be formed in different cross-sections, which may avoid shortingof the contacts.

FIG. 29 is a detailed view of the first and second doped regions 94 and110. Due to the processes used for formation, portions of the firstdoped region 94 outside of the second doped region 110 (labeled R₁) havea uniform distribution of the dopants. Such regions may be located atleast partially under the gate spacers 120. Forming a uniformdistribution of the dopants in this region may reduce the junctionleakage of the resulting FinFETs by up to fourfold. Further, the seconddoped region 110 has graded distribution of the dopants. Forming agraded distribution of the dopants in this region may reduce the powerconsumption of the resulting FinFETs.

In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a fin on a substrate, finhaving a Si portion proximate the substrate and a SiGe portion distalthe substrate; forming a gate stack over the fin; depositing a gatespacer layer over the fin and the gate stack; depositing a mask layerover the gate spacer layer; etching a recess extending through the masklayer, through the gate spacer layer, and into the SiGe portion of thefin; implanting a dopant into the mask layer and the SiGe portion of thefin exposed by the recess; and performing a first epitaxy process tosimultaneously grow a source/drain region in the recess and drive thedopant into the SiGe portion and the Si portion of the fin.

In some embodiments of the method, implanting the dopant includes:forming a first layer of the dopant on the mask layer and in the recessduring a first pulse of a first plasma doping process; and implantingthe dopant in the mask layer the SiGe portion of the fin during a secondpulse of the first plasma doping process. In some embodiments, themethod further includes: after the first plasma doping process, removingthe first layer of the dopant in a wet etch process. In some embodimentsof the method, the wet etch process is performed using a SulfuricPeroxide Mixture (SPM) solution for a time interval of from about 30seconds to about 120 seconds at a temperature of from about 90° C. toabout 180° C. In some embodiments, the method further includes: removingthe mask layer; and patterning the gate spacer layer to form gatespacers adjacent the gate stack. In some embodiments, the method furtherincludes: forming a lightly doped source/drain (LDD) region adjacent thegate stack in the SiGe portion of the fin; after forming the LDD region,implanting the dopant into the gate spacer layer; and performing ananneal process to drive the dopant from the gate spacer layer into theSiGe portion and the Si portion of the fin. In some embodiments of themethod, after the first epitaxy process, a first region of the SiGeportion of the fin has a graded concentration of the dopant increasingin a direction extending from a top of the fin to a bottom of the fin,the first region being disposed between the substrate and thesource/drain region.

In an embodiment, a method includes: forming a fin on a substrate, finincluding a first semiconductor material; recessing a first portion ofthe fin to form a first recess, a second portion of the fin remaining onthe substrate; epitaxially growing a second semiconductor material inthe first recess to reform the first portion of the fin; forming a gatestack over the fin; depositing a gate spacer layer over the fin and thegate stack; forming a lightly doped source/drain (LDD) region adjacentthe gate stack in the first portion of the fin; after forming the LDDregion, implanting a dopant into the gate spacer layer; performing ananneal process to drive the dopant from the gate spacer layer into thefirst portion and the second portion of the fin; patterning the gatespacer layer to form gate spacers adjacent the gate stack; andepitaxially growing a source/drain region in the first portion of thefin.

In some embodiments of the method, implanting the dopant into the gatespacer layer includes: forming a first layer of the dopant on the gatespacer layer during a first pulse of a first plasma doping process; andimplanting the dopant in the gate spacer layer during a second pulse ofthe first plasma doping process. In some embodiments, the method furtherincludes: after the first plasma doping process, removing the firstlayer of the dopant in a wet etch process. In some embodiments of themethod, the wet etch process is performed using a Sulfuric PeroxideMixture (SPM) solution. In some embodiments of the method, the wet etchprocess is performed for a time interval of from about 30 seconds toabout 120 seconds at a temperature of from about 90° C. to about 180° C.In some embodiments of the method, epitaxially growing the source/drainregion includes: etching a second recess extending through the gatespacer layer and into the first portion of the fin; implanting thedopant into the first portion of the fin exposed by the second recess;and epitaxially growing SiGeB in the second recess. In some embodimentsof the method, implanting the dopant into the first portion of the finexposed by the second recess includes: forming a second layer of thedopant in the second recess during a first pulse of a second plasmadoping process; and implanting the dopant in the first portion of thefin during a second pulse of the second plasma doping process. In someembodiments, the method further includes: after the second plasma dopingprocess, removing the second layer of the dopant in a wet etch processusing a Sulfuric Peroxide Mixture (SPM) solution. In some embodiments ofthe method, after the anneal process, a first region of the firstportion of the fin has a uniform concentration of the dopant, the firstregion being disposed between the gate stack and the source/drainregion.

In an embodiment, a device includes: a fin on a substrate, fin having aSi portion proximate the substrate and a SiGe portion distal thesubstrate; a gate stack over a channel region of the fin; a source/drainregion adjacent the gate stack; a first doped region in the SiGe portionof the fin, the first doped region disposed between the channel regionand the source/drain region, the first doped region having a uniformconcentration of a dopant; and a second doped region in the SiGe portionof the fin, the second doped region disposed under the source/drainregion, the second doped region having a graded concentration of thedopant increasing in a direction extending from a top of the fin to abottom of the fin.

In some embodiments, the device further includes: a lightly dopedsource/drain (LDD) region adjacent the gate stack in the SiGe portion ofthe fin, the LDD region being different from the first doped region; anda gate spacer over the LDD region, the gate spacer disposed partiallyover the first doped region. In some embodiments of the device, thefirst doped region and the second doped region are further disposed inthe Si portion of the fin. In some embodiments of the device, the firstdoped region and the second doped region are substantially confined tothe SiGe portion of the fin.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

1. A method comprising: forming a fin on a substrate, the fin having aSi portion proximate the substrate and a SiGe portion distal thesubstrate; forming a gate stack over the fin; depositing a gate spacerlayer over the fin and the gate stack; depositing a mask layer over thegate spacer layer; etching a recess extending through the mask layer,through the gate spacer layer, and into the SiGe portion of the fin;implanting a dopant into the mask layer and the SiGe portion of the finexposed by the recess, wherein implanting the dopant comprises: forminga first layer of the dopant on the mask layer and in the recess during afirst pulse of a first plasma doping process; and implanting the dopantin the mask layer the SiGe portion of the fin during a second pulse ofthe first plasma doping process; and performing a first epitaxy processto simultaneously grow a source/drain region in the recess and drive thedopant into the SiGe portion and the Si portion of the fin. 2.(canceled)
 3. The method of claim 1, further comprising: after the firstplasma doping process, removing the first layer of the dopant in a wetetch process.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wet etch process isperformed using a Sulfuric Peroxide Mixture (SPM) solution for a timeinterval of from about 30 seconds to about 120 seconds at a temperatureof from about 90° C. to about 180° C.
 5. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising: removing the mask layer; and patterning the gate spacerlayer to form gate spacers adjacent the gate stack.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: forming a lightly doped source/drain (LDD)region adjacent the gate stack in the SiGe portion of the fin; afterforming the LDD region, implanting the dopant into the gate spacerlayer; and performing an anneal process to drive the dopant from thegate spacer layer into the SiGe portion and the Si portion of the fin.7. The method of claim 1, wherein after the first epitaxy process, afirst region of the SiGe portion of the fin has a graded concentrationof the dopant increasing in a direction extending from a top of the finto a bottom of the fin, the first region being disposed between thesubstrate and the source/drain region.
 8. A method comprising: forming afin on a substrate, the fin comprising a first semiconductor material;recessing a first portion of the fin to form a first recess, a secondportion of the fin remaining on the substrate; epitaxially growing asecond semiconductor material in the first recess to reform the firstportion of the fin; forming a gate stack over the fin; depositing a gatespacer layer over the fin and the gate stack; forming a lightly dopedsource/drain (LDD) region adjacent the gate stack in the first portionof the fin; after forming the LDD region, implanting a dopant into thegate spacer layer; performing an anneal process to drive the dopant fromthe gate spacer layer into the first portion and the second portion ofthe fin; patterning the gate spacer layer to form gate spacers adjacentthe gate stack; and epitaxially growing a source/drain region in thefirst portion of the fin.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein implantingthe dopant into the gate spacer layer comprises: forming a first layerof the dopant on the gate spacer layer during a first pulse of a firstplasma doping process; and implanting the dopant in the gate spacerlayer during a second pulse of the first plasma doping process.
 10. Themethod of claim 9, further comprising: after the first plasma dopingprocess, removing the first layer of the dopant in a wet etch process.11. The method of claim 10, wherein the wet etch process is performedusing a Sulfuric Peroxide Mixture (SPM) solution.
 12. The method ofclaim 11, wherein the wet etch process is performed for a time intervalof from about 30 seconds to about 120 seconds at a temperature of fromabout 90° C. to about 180° C.
 13. The method of claim 8, whereepitaxially growing the source/drain region comprises: etching a secondrecess extending through the gate spacer layer and into the firstportion of the fin; implanting the dopant into the first portion of thefin exposed by the second recess; and epitaxially growing SiGeB in thesecond recess.
 14. The method of claim 13, wherein implanting the dopantinto the first portion of the fin exposed by the second recesscomprises: forming a second layer of the dopant in the second recessduring a first pulse of a second plasma doping process; and implantingthe dopant in the first portion of the fin during a second pulse of thesecond plasma doping process.
 15. The method of claim 14, furthercomprising: after the second plasma doping process, removing the secondlayer of the dopant in a wet etch process using a Sulfuric PeroxideMixture (SPM) solution.
 16. The method of claim 8, wherein after theanneal process, a first region of the first portion of the fin has auniform concentration of the dopant, the first region being disposedbetween the gate stack and the source/drain region. 17.-20. (canceled)21. A method comprising: forming a semiconductor fin extending from asemiconductor substrate; forming a gate stack over a channel region ofthe semiconductor fin; forming a lightly doped source/drain (LDD) regionin the semiconductor fin adjacent the channel region, the LDD regionbeing doped with a first dopant; depositing a gate spacer layer over theLDD region and around the gate stack; doping the gate spacer layer withthe first dopant; annealing the gate spacer layer, the first dopantbeing driven from the gate spacer layer into a first region of thesemiconductor fin during the annealing, the first region having auniform concentration of the first dopant; etching a recess extendingthrough the gate spacer layer and into the semiconductor fin; dopingsidewalls of the recess with the first dopant; and growing an epitaxialsource/drain region in the recess, the first dopant being driven fromthe sidewalls of the recess into a second region of the semiconductorfin during the growing, the second region having a graded concentrationof the first dopant, wherein the first region is horizontally disposedbetween the channel region and the second region, and wherein the firstregion is vertically disposed between the LDD region and thesemiconductor substrate.
 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the gradedconcentration of the first dopant in the second region increases in adirection extending from the LDD region towards the semiconductorsubstrate.
 23. The method of claim 21 further comprising: afterannealing the gate spacer layer and after growing the epitaxialsource/drain region, patterning the gate spacer layer to form a gatespacer between the gate stack and the epitaxial source/drain region. 24.The method of claim 21, wherein doping the gate spacer layer with thefirst dopant comprises: performing a plasma doping process comprisingimplanting the first dopant in the gate spacer layer and depositing alayer of the first dopant on the gate spacer layer in alternatingrepeating steps, the plasma doping process being performed with a plasmagenerator, wherein the implanting the first dopant in the gate spacerlayer comprises generating a bias voltage for the plasma generatorduring the implanting.
 25. The method of claim 13, wherein after theanneal process, a first region of the first portion of the fin has auniform concentration of the dopant, the first region being disposedbetween the gate stack and the source/drain region, and wherein afterepitaxially growing SiGeB, a second region of the first portion of thefin has a graded concentration of the dopant increasing in a directionextending from a top of the fin to a bottom of the fin, the secondregion being disposed between the source/drain region and the firstregion.